'Thrilled to death': Typically a traditionalist, Lions' Fipp loves NFL's kickoff overhaul

Allen Park — When it comes to the game of football, Detroit Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp is a self-proclaimed traditionalist. The fewer changes to the rules and the way the game has long been played, the better. But regarding the league's overhauled kickoff format — one of the most significant alternations in recent memory — he's a massive fan, for multiple reasons.

"Yeah, I’m thrilled to death," Fipp said. "I think it’s going to be great — great for the game, great for the players."

With nearly 80% of kickoffs resulting in a touchback last season, and leaguewide scoring down for four consecutive years, the NFL sought to address both issues by reimagining the design of the play. Borrowing heavily from a design introduced by the XFL in 2020, the new version of kickoffs will have every player except the kicker lining up across midfield, with only the kicker and two returners able to move prior to the ball being fielded.

Additionally, to further encourage returns, touchbacks on balls that reach the end zone in the air will result in the ball being moved out to the 30-yard line. Sharply increasing returns should bring kickoffs from the brink of extinction back to prominence. That's great for fans, but also for coordinators like Fipp, who are always looking for an edge through special teams.

"My biggest thing was, hey, let's give both sides a chance to play the play, make it competitive and compete against each other, and then we'll find out who does a good job coaching and who does a good job playing," he said.

Under Fipp, and encouraged by a philosophical overlap with coach Dan Campbell, the Lions have regularly put an emphasis on special teams, looking to create advantages through the units. While many teams have settled for blasting kickoffs through the end zone and taking the touchback in recent years, the Lions have liked to force opponents to return the ball, putting pressure on them to execute against a roster that's placed a premium on players who excel covering kicks.

"Not that we were one of them, but I think that a handful of teams around the league started to devalue the back end of the roster just a little bit there, some of these guys' skill sets on special teams, and the importance of it," Fipp said. "I think that’s going to come back into play a little bit more here."

But with the changes, it's a new puzzle for Fipp to solve. The encouraging thing, as he notes, is that if you pause the film on the old version of kickoffs shortly after the ball was kicked, the updated format looks nearly identical. But because the long run-up is being eliminated for the players in coverage, there's likely going to be a shift in the abilities teams prioritize.

"I think, at the end of the day, what it really is coming down to is a bunch of one-on-ones out on the field, which is really what the NFL is built on anyway," Fipp said. "It’s just how can you beat the guy across from you, and there’s always been a lot of different way to get that job done.

"...It’s become more of a short-area play," Fipp explained. "You got a guy lined up five yards across from you (at the start of the play) — he might settle a little bit and make it seven — but you’re trying to beat a guy in a seven-yard space. And so, I think it is a little bit more quickness-oriented, both in the coverage game and the return game. I think guys abilities to flip their hips — kind of similar to the secondary-type guys — flip their hips, match guys in the return game is going to be important."

There are a couple hidden advantages in the long run to start the play being eliminated, beyond the obvious reduction of potential injuries. It will also allow for more practice reps without fatigue being a factor, while eliminating some of the reluctance to use defensive starters on the play, for similar reasons.

"We can get more reps in (because) it's putting less tax on guys," Fipp said. "I think that's another way to look at the play, it's really your first defensive play. It's really not any harder."

That said, based on some initial offseason practices, and studying film and results from those XFL games in 2020, Fipp is expecting a notable uptick in big plays in the return game this upcoming season, which is exactly what the league wants.

"There’s more opportunity for the return team to have more explosive plays," Fipp said. "I think those things will show up. They’ve spread the field with our alignment, so that it’s hard to get an overloaded number of players at the point of attack."

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers